Noncontrast myocardial T1 mapping using cardiovascular magnetic resonance for iron overload

PURPOSE: To explore the use and reproducibility of magnetic resonance-derived myocardial T1 mapping in patients with iron overload. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research received ethics committee approval and all patients provided written informed consent. This was a prospective study of 88 patients and 67 healthy volunteers. Thirty-five patients underwent repeat scanning for reproducibility. T1 mapping used the shortened modified Look-Locker inversion recovery sequence (ShMOLLI) with a second, confirmatory MOLLI sequence in the reproducibility group. T2 * was performed using a commercially available sequence. The analysis of the T2 * interstudy reproducibility data was performed by two different research groups using two different methods. RESULTS: Myocardial T1 was lower in patients than healthy volunteers (836 ± 138 msec vs. 968 ± 32 msec, P